depend

[ dih-pend ]

/ dɪˈpɛnd /

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See synonyms for: depend / depended / depending on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

to rely; place trust (usually followed by on or upon): You may depend on the accuracy of the report.

to rely for support, maintenance, help, etc. (usually followed by on or upon): Children depend on their parents.

to be conditioned or contingent (usually followed by on or upon): His success here depends upon effort and ability.

to be undetermined or pending: I may go to Europe or I may not, it all depends.

Grammar. (of a word or other linguistic form) to be subordinate to another linguistic form in the same construction; to form a part of a construction other than the head.

to hang down; be suspended (usually followed by from): The chandelier depends from the ceiling of the ballroom.

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Origin of depend

1375–1425; late Middle English dependen<Old French dependre<Latin dēpendere to hang down, equivalent to dē-de- + pendere to hang

OTHER WORDS FROM depend

in·ter·de·pend, verb (used without object)re·de·pend, verb (used without object)self-de·pend·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use depend in a sentence

The company also acknowledged that its success depends on its ability to “provide a safe online environment” for children.
Daily Crunch: Roblox is going public|Anthony Ha|November 20, 2020|TechCrunch
There could be a fair amount of money on the line, depending on your situation.
Saturday is the final deadline to get your CARES Act $1,200 stimulus check|Lance Lambert|November 20, 2020|Fortune
Players become eligible for the Rule 5 draft after four or five professional seasons, depending on the age they were when signed.
Nationals protect Steven Fuentes, Yasel Antuna and Joan Adon from Rule 5 draft|Jesse Dougherty|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
They can roughly measure distance, but we know your actual exposure risk changes a lot depending on whether you are indoors or outdoors, and whether you and the person you’re exposed to are wearing masks.
A covid-fighting tool is buried in your phone. Turn it on.|Geoffrey Fowler|November 20, 2020|Washington Post

The cook time will depend on the heat of your fire — I got the best results putting the pot on once the biggest flames had started to die down a bit.
This cocktail can keep you warm around the fire pit — and you can make it there, too|M. Carrie Allan|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
Prevalence depends on context, and sometimes unique advantages outweigh the genetic costs.
Mongooses, Meerkats, and Ants, Oh My! Why Some Animals Keep Mating All in the Family|Helen Thompson|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Russia depends on oil exports for almost 70 percent of its foreign-currency earnings and almost 50 percent of its annual budget.
How Crimea Crashed the Russian Economy|Anna Nemtsova|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
These are important years for us both, years on which much already depends.
Decoding Vincent Van Gogh’s Tempestuous, Fragile Mind|Nick Mafi|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So it depends on what side of the track you want to come from.
‘No Regrets’: Peter Jackson Says Goodbye to Middle-Earth|Alex Suskind|December 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But look, it depends on how old I am [laughs], and whether I have the energy anymore.
‘No Regrets’: Peter Jackson Says Goodbye to Middle-Earth|Alex Suskind|December 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Woman is mistress of the art of completely embittering the life of the person on whom she depends.
Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou
It will be remembered that pitch depends upon the rapidity of the sound waves or vibrations.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
Recognition of the pneumococcus depends upon its morphology, the fact that it is Gram-staining, and the presence of a capsule.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
In disease, the amount of solids depends mainly upon the activity of metabolism and the ability of the kidneys to excrete.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
It depends upon the fact that bile acids lower surface tension.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd

British Dictionary definitions for depend

depend

/ (dɪˈpɛnd) /

verb (intr)

(foll by on or upon) to put trust (in); rely (on); be sure (of)

(usually foll by on or upon; often with it as subject) to be influenced or determined (by); be resultant (from)whether you come or not depends on what father says; it all depends on you

(foll by on or upon) to rely (on) for income, support, etc

(foll by from) rare to hang down; be suspended

to be undecided or pending

Word Origin for depend

C15: from Old French dependre, from Latin dēpendēre to hang from, from de- + pendēre to hang

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

depend

Origin of depend

OTHER WORDS FROM depend

Words related to depend

How to use depend in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for depend

Word Origin for depend